Yielding retainer for visible index card holders



J. R. CLARK July 28, 1931.

YIELDING RETAINER FOR VISIBLE INDEX CARD HOLDERS Filed June 26, 1930 WHHHHHHHH YINVENTOR James 1?. 6M,

WHUWW HFIHM INEII x 9 1 my ATTORNEI'ZSY Patented July 28, 1931 um'nzn STAT PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES R. CLARK, ,oF' RoeHEsTE'R, NEW YORK, ASsIeNonTo THE YAWiV'tAfi &\ ER'BE MANUFACTURING COMPANY; OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A conrom rion OF NEW Yank? YIELDING RETAINER FOR-VISIBLE INDEX CARD nommns A pplicationyfil ed" Jame 2.6",

This invention relates to an improved organization of elements for retaining yield ingly cardholders within a tray while permitting their removal when requiredupon operation of the parts. Generally speaking,

the improved mechanism includes a retaining bar which is normally urged yieldrngly against the ends of the card holders to prevent theirdisplacementan'd an independent pressure-relieving means which isoperable manually to r'e'l-ieve'thesa-rdretainer bar from the actionofthe yielding pressure elements, when the holders are to be removed. The construction is simple and compact and easy to operate,- the pressure-relieving means be ing movable positively to relieve the retaining bar of the spring? action, and operable automatically to restorethe spring action to the retaining bar when and as-desired.

In accordance with the object ofthe in-' To relieve'theretainin ban of the springzaction a manually opera: le spring compressor is provided by means" of which the spring;

pressure can be removed from th'ev'retainingi i a a. bar, leaving the latter free fondxsplaeemem as when the cardholders are displacedifor re-- moval from the tray. In the preferred embodiment, the spring co 'npressor" is free to return 'torelease the sprlngs when the man 7 ual' pressure thereon is removed; Further, it is preferred" that the spr1ngcompresson shall be operatively engaged with fixed' eans on the tray to bring aboutby a positl ve tion compressionofthe springs These and other objects will app'earpat greater length hereinafter in connection with the description of theembodiment ill-ustrat ed inthe drawings; in which: a Figure I is aiview in plan of a-tray, haviii g the "improvedcard-retaining mechanism associated therewith, a part of the tray-v being broken away to show such mechanism;.-

Figure 2' is a 'view similar to Figure Lbut W on a: somewhat larger 7 scale showing the spring compressor inzactlon', thea'etaimng bar 1930 Serial No. 463918.

for the card holdersbeing left free for lateral movement.

Figure 3 is a View in transverse section through the tray shown in Figure 2 and taken on the plane indicated by the line 33:

oii Figure 2 and looking in the direction ofthe arrows.

Figure 4 is a sectional View of the finger site sides formed reversely bent flangesa, a Within the flange ainay be placed a bar or stop bto limit movementlof thecard holders cto'the right as viewed in thedrawings. The other end of the cardholders'lie in the other channel under the flange (1 When the bars are to be removed fi'om the I tray it is contemplated that they shall'be displaced towards: the left, as viewed-in the drawings, until their right-hand ends clear the flange a at which time they may be withdrawn. To hold them against accidental movement when the tray is in use there is provided: a retaining bar (1 which normally engagesthe left ends of'the holders; This retaining bar is a free element being sub jIect only" tothe actionof suitable spring-s illustrated as leaf springs disposed-withinand bearing: against'the vertical member or bottom of the channel e Interposed be-- tween the springse and the retaining bar cl" is a spring-compressor shown as comprising a longitudinally extendingbar Thisbar may be recessed along-iits inner edge as at f to" receive the springs 6. This bar can be manipulated to compress the springs e and thereby: reliev'e theretain-ingbM dfrom their" in action; Y

extend pins 9 secured to the tray. A finger pull it extends through an opening a in the flangea and engages the compressor bar By grasping the finger pull it the bar f can thus be slid longitudinally. Such movement will bring the inclined sides of the triangular openings f into cooperative engagement with their respective pins 9 so that camming ensues and'the bar 7 will be constrained to move laterally against the action of the springs 6 thereby compressing the mr lVith the parts in such condition the retainer bar wards the right as viewed in Figure 7 pended claims.

rLwill be left wholly free and isolated from the spring action. If one or more of the card holders 0 are then slid laterally they will displace the retainerbar cl laterally leaving the cardholders free to be withdrawn from the tray. The pins 9 may extend through transverse openings d in the retainer bar d to permit movement of this bar laterally without interference. At the same time, this slot and stud connection will permit the spring-compressing bar f to be moved longitudinally and laterally without impressing its movements on the retaining bar cl. YVhen the retaining'bar is to resume its function of holding the card holders yieldingly against displacement, the finger is removed from the pull it thereby permitting the springs e to reassert themselves and move the compressor along with the bar cl to- Changes in mechanical details and thesubstitution of equivalents will suggest themselves to one skilled in the art and any such modificaitons are to be deemed within the scope of the invention defined by the ap- WhatIclaim is: 1. In combination with a tray having channels along its edges, rigid members mounted transversely of the tray within the channels, a retaining bar engaging the ends of the members to hold them against lateral displacement, resilient means for normally urging the bar yieldingly against said members, and means operatively interposed between said resilient means and said bar to transmit the pressure of said resilient means channels along its opposite edges and members disposed transversely of the tray and engaged with said channels, a retaining bar mounted in one of said channels and engaging the ends of said members, spring means to urge the bar yieldingly into engagement with said members and spring-compressing means operatively interposed between the springs and the bar and movable against the action of said springs to isolate the retaining bar from their pressure.

'3. In combination with a visible index tray having channels along its side edges, rigid card holders mountedin the tray and engaging the channels, a retaining bar disposed in one of the channels and engaging the ends of said card holders,'springs engaging the bottom of said last-named channel, a second bar mounted in the same channel between the re-' taining bar'and the springs and adapted to be pressed by the latter yieldingly against the former, and means to move said second-' named bar laterally away from the firstnamed bar by positive actuation against the pressureof said springs.

4. In combination'with a visible index tray having channels along. its side edges, rigid card holders mounted in the tray and engag- 7 ing the channels, a retaining-bar disposed in one of the channels and engaging the ends of said card holders, springs engaging the bottom of said last-named channel,'a second bar mounted in the same channel betweenthe retaining bar and the springs and adapted to bev pressed by the latter yieldingly against the former, and means carried by the trayand operatively engaged by the secondnamed bar to move the same laterally upon longitudinal movement thereof to effect compression of the springs.

5. In combination with a visible index tray, rigid card holders disposed transversely thereof, a retaining'bar therefor, springs, a springecompressing bar operatively interposed between said'springsand said retain.- ing'bar, and means to shift the compressing bar longitudinally and laterally to compress the springs and isolate the retaining bar from their pressure. V a a 1 6. In combination with a visible index tray, rigid card holders disposed transversely thereof, a retaining bar therefor, springs, a spring-compressing bar operatively interposed between said springs and said retaining bar and shiftable longitudinallyand laterally to compress the springs and isolate the retaining bar from'their pressure, and pins lateral displacement of the'compressorbar in one position and cause positive lateral displacement thereof upon longitudinal movement of the same. V

7. In combination with a visible. index tray having channels along its side edges, card holders mounted in the channels, a retaining:

carried by the tray and extending through bar'in one of. the channels having a flange to engage the ends of the holders and a web parallel to the floor of the tray, springs seating at the bottom of said channel and a com- June, A. D. 1930.

7 JAMES R. CLARK. 

